November 29, 2007

Holiday Music Mercy Courtesy of The Killers

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The holiday season offers no shortage of peril: themed turtleneck sweaters, Bûche de Noël, office party punch. And of course, the one holiday intrusion that none of us can avoid, from the dawn of Black Friday through ’til Christmas Day, is the ubiquitous playing and marketing of Christmas music. This year, if all the harking of angels on high and Beach Boys covers are getting you so down that even Neil Diamond’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” can’t raise you up, The Killers have just the song for you. “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” is the feel-good—in a super dark way—iTunes download of the season, with all its proceeds going to AIDS charities as part of Bono’s RED campaign. For those of us who have always dreamed of tying up Brandon Flowers with tinsel and tormenting him in the desert, Christmas has come a little early this year.

For some more bloodthirsty sock puppet action that’s good any time of the year, there’s always Macromantics’ superb “Apple Crumble.”

Happy Caroling!

—Cassie McGettigan

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